Story
I never met Dame Deborah James but if her public persona is anything to go by I think she and my mum would have got on famously!
Both said 'f%ck you' to Cancer. Both LIVED right up until they died and both live still in the smiles of so many people, who miss their presence and yet find it everywhere.
On 17th November it will be 10 years since my mum died.
Even writing that now it feels surreal. Grief is a difficult thing to live with and I agree it never goes away. It get's bigger and smaller then bigger again. Fluctuating as the demands of life do. This is the first year I've felt ready to do something in her name. I want an excuse to keep her alive and to talk to people that knew her. I want to introduce her to people who were not fortunate enough to meet her in person because she was so much more than the way she passed away. It was so important to her to be herself, even more of herself right up to the end.
She was silly. She was fun. She was loving and generous and she was super ambitious and talented in so many ways.
So, this year I will be running 10km x 10 times to mark 10 years since her passing. My goal is to raise £5k but between you and me, however long it takes (maybe another 10 years) my real ambition is to hit £10k. I'll complement the runs with other fundraising activities and will finish this 12month sprint (meant in project terms not speed) with a five day trek to the Himalayas but more of that to follow!
I'll be covering some miles in the next 12 months and using the opportunity to talk a bit about my mum, about why you should check your poo and about the amazing work done by The Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK.
Thank you in advance for your support and for helping me honour my mum in this way.